The Engraved Clarineto
by Monica Ronovitch
Summary: The adventures of Riva Mischa and her daemon Konstantin in the original world of the His Dark Materials trilogy. The story is 10 chapters long so far. Someone please review on what you don't like or what you do, and then I can keep writing.
1. Chapter 1

_This is the first chapter of the story of Riva Mischa and her dæmon Konstantin's adventures. It is set in the world of Lyra, from the His Dark Materials book series. Please review and tell me what you think! I'm always open to constructive criticism… ;) _

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the concept of dæmons, or the concept of gyptians, or the concept of an evil Magisterium, or claim to have invented the world where this story was set in (because it was created by Phillip Pullman), or for that matter, I might as well say that just the characters are of my own invention

**Chapter One**

It was night, and the rain was pouring down. Only the anbaric streetlights were on, shining through the rain. I was dozing off, with my fox dæmon Konstantin curled up next to me, when pebbles rained down upon my window. We were both wide-awake in an instant and we quickly made our way to the window and looked outside into the pouring rain.

"See anyone?" I asked quietly.

"Yes- over by that streetlight," Konstantin replied.

My fingers fiddled with the window latch as he squinted, peering into the rain.

"Can you tell who it is?" I asked.

"No, but they've got a wolf dæmon, I think."

A wolf dæmon? I didn't know anyone with a wolf dæmon. I peered out into the rain again, and a streak of lightning lit the street as if it was day out. The figure had a hood pulled over it head, and the dæmon wasn't a wolf, it was a coyote, and I said as much to Konstantin.

"Riva, it's Roth and Bronwyn!" he realized. I finally got the latch undone, and we jumped the meager two meters to the ground in the rain. My impulsive decision had caused me to forget to bring a raincoat, but I was extremely grateful for being too tired to change out of my day clothes as I hit the ground. Konstantin led the mad dash to Roth, and I barreled into him, giving him the biggest hug that I could.

"Whoa, Mischa. You almost took me down that time," he said.

"What's so important that it couldn't wait 'till morning, Gannon?" I demanded, letting go of him. He produced an umbrella, and as our dæmons wrestled in the mud, his cheerful face grew solemn.

"I found summat weird, Riva. Really weird," said the usually unperturbed Roth.

"Like what?" I asked him.

He called his dæmon Bronwyn over, and Konstantin followed her. "Me'n Bronwyn dunno what to make of it." He led the way to an alley and took us to the abandoned zeppelin station. We sat down on a bench, and he opened his rucksack. Konstantin leapt up to my lap and peered at the object wrapped in black velvet that Roth had just brought out.

"What is it?" I asked as he unwrapped it.

"Dunno. It en't like anything I've seen before," he replied.

And I could see why. It was like a clarineto, but without all the extra keys- it just had holes for your fingers, and it had no reed. It silver all over, with gold engraving in some foreign language- it might have been from the Urals, but it was definitely not from England. I picked it up gently, and placed my fingers on the holes. I would have blown into it, but a light flicked on overhead, and Roth jumped to his feet.

"Isn't this place s'posed to be abandoned?" I asked.

"Obviously, it's not anymore!" he said before bolting towards the door, abandoning the strange clarineto and its black velvet cloth. Handlamps cut through the air, probing corners that the overhead light couldn't reach.

"What should we do?" I asked Konstantin quickly, as the anbaric beams drew closer.

"Don't leave it- maybe we can sell it," he said. "Quickly! Wrap it up and let's run!"

I grabbed the cloth and shot towards the door, wrapping the strange object as I went. Konstantin led the way, trying to avoid the beams of the handlamps, but one of them caught his fur, and then we just ran headlong towards the door. Rifle cracks rang out as we ran, and bullets ricocheted off the doorframe as we made it out into the drenching rain again.

The morning sun was starting to come out, and the rain was lightening, but I had no time to admire the view. Konstantin and I looked around, bewildered, trying to find either Roth or Bronwyn, but there was no trace of either. "Down here," Konstantin said, leading the way down an ancient sewer entrance- so ancient that it had steps. The sound of bullets stopped, and I could hear authoritative voices speaking loudly, and booted feet tramped overhead.

"What should we do?" I asked, while unconsciously unwrapping the strange clarineto.

"Don't get that out!" he snapped. "We don't know what it is, but I bet you all the money in the world that it's why we're being chased." I put it back in its cloth and shoved it into my pocket. "No! Don't put it there- it could fall out."

"When what'll I do with it?" I demanded sharply. "I can't run with it."

"Carry it. It's all you can do now," he replied, and cocked his head, looking intently at the entrance we came down from. "Run!" Konstantin whispered fiercely. "They're coming." Boots appeared at the first step, and I ran.

_Running seems to be all I'm doing since I saw Roth_, I thought, but I didn't voice it. We came to a junction in the tunnels. All the possible choices were angled down hill, and the one on the left was filled with water. The center tunnel was clean, with no wild life, and the air wafting to where I stood smelled good. Rats, tree roots, and rubble filled the last tunnel, the tunnel on my right.

"Which way?" I asked Konstantin.

As the men chasing us got closer, he wordlessly dived into the tunnel with rats. The men saw us begin running again, and cried out, "STOP! STOP IN THE NAME OF THE MAGISTERIUM!"

_The Magisterium? How the hell did they come into this picture? _I wondered as I ran. Rats skittered out of my way and as I stumbled over, under, and around the tree roots that just kept on coming, the anbaric handlamps cast strange shadows down the tunnel. Konstantin ran as fast as out physical bond would allow, and I kept close at his heels. We passed over a rusted metal grill, and I heard a voice I had thought I would never hear again.

"Riva! Riva Mischa!"

"Roth?" I asked quietly. "I've got Magisterium men chasing me, Roth. I dunno-"

"Just stand back, Mischa. I've got someone for you to meet," Roth said. I stepped off of the grill and Roth lifted it off the ground. Konstantin leapt down lightly to greet Bronwyn, and when I followed him, Roth caught me.

In the excitement, I had forgotten about the Magisterium's soldiers. As Roth pulled the grill back into its place and jammed it so that they wouldn't be able to lift it, the soldiers fired of rounds of bullets. Some of the bullets found their way through the holes in the grill, and one hit Roth in the sternum, near the heart.

As if in slow motion, he toppled forward, his brawny body landing on me. Roth almost crushed me, but someone grabbed him as his added weight caused my body to collapse onto the filthy ground. Bronwyn's glossy coyote fur grew dull, and the newcomer's dæmon supported her.

"C'mon, get up, hurry," the foreigner said, his voice containing a lilting Irish accent. "They're almost here, gel. C'mon, up ye go." Konstantin nudged me to my feet, and I saw that the Irish man held his own handlamp. I followed him as he led me further along the subterranean passageway that I hadn't known existed previously. As we drew further and further away from the grill, the Magisterium soldiers reached it and began trying to lift it. Loud curses reached my ears, and looking over my shoulder, I saw that the rusty metal of the grill held its own against direct gunshots.

My Irish guide took me to the end of the path, and I saw that a river of sewage was rushing by. I wondered what the strange man was thinking, walking towards the smelly river, but the beam of his handlamp revealed a cleverly concealed gyptian river boat. The sound of shouts of victory from the soldiers far behind us made it clear to everyone that they had finally gotten through the grill and were coming for us…

_I hope you liked it, I am writing Chapter Two, and personally, I thought this one could have been better… oh well… review review review!_


	2. Chapter 2

Another addition to the reasons for this to be PG-13- some strong language…

Okay, this is Chapter Two (obviously), and I've been entertaining two thoughts about it: continuing it from Riva's point of view, or switching to the point of view from a Magisterium soldier... but since this was originally planned to be Riva's story, I think the Magisterium soldier will gain his own tale another time... look out for it! Now, to business:

**Disclaimer:**_ I don't claim anything as my own except for the characters- they're mine, mine, mine!_

_So read, enjoy, and review! _

Chapter Two 

The Irishman leapt onto the boat as lightly as a feather, despite Roth's added weight. He disappeared for a few moments and then returned without Roth. As the soldiers' footsteps echoed ever closer, the foreigner helped me onto the long boat and cast off. We were immediately caught in the sewage-filled water's current, and I caught a glimpse of the soldiers as we disappeared from view.

"You have the clarineto?" the man's dæmon asked me as her human steered the boat, and for the first time, I saw her clearly. She was a red panda, and I was overcome with the urge to hug her, but the great taboo prevented me.

I looked down at my hands, and realized that throughout everything, I had managed to keep a tight grasp upon it. "Yeah," I replied. Konstantin nosed aside the black cloth, and even in the dimness of the tunnel, I could still see the engravings as clearly as if they were shining in the sun. "Why does the Magisterium want it?" I asked her.

She sighed, and sat down wearily. "We're not sure- at least, that is, Logan and I don't know. It might just be rare and valuable, but it might have strange properties as well. All I can say for certain is that you mustn't allow it to leave your possession."

I would have asked more, but the Irishman, Logan, called to his dæmon. "Mackenzie! Check the waters ahead!" Mackenzie did as he told her, and cautiously, with Konstantin wary at my side, I approached my mysterious steersman.

"'Scuze me, sir, but why did you help us?" I asked.

Logan looked down at me with piercing green eyes, and I realized that he had bright red hair. "Roth Gannon and I are friends, and he had told me of the clarineto that he had found. We were supposed to meet back where we left the soldiers, and then go to the Roping in the fens, but he was late, and then he came without the clarineto. He realized that he had left it in the zeppelin station, and then returned to get it. Who knows why you got involved."

"Roth and I are best friends, and when I had to leave the streets to go to school, we'd find ways to explore the city at night," I said, my way of answering his unasked question.

"What's your name, gel?" Logan asked.

"Riva. Riva Mischa," I replied.

"Roth's sixteen, and since you claim to be best friends with him, I'm guessing that since your dæmon's settled, you're about fifteen, correct?"

"Yeah," I said. And then I asked him a question that had been nagging me for the past few minutes as we sailed further down the river of sewage. "How old are you?"

"I'm-" he began, and would have finished, but Mackenzie called out a warning from her position.

"Logan! Waterfall ahead!" she cried, her voice panicked.

"Shit!" Logan swore. "Can you see any turns?"

"No!" Mackenzie cried, raising her voice over the growing roar of the waterfall.

Logan looked at me again, his face sorrowful, and then he tossed me a rope. "Tie yourself and your dæmon together- the fall could separate you. And we canna stop, so it will be a fall, and quite a long one!" He dashed into the cabin where Roth was lying, unconscious, and tied Bronwyn and her human together. Then Logan returned outside and secured Mackenzie to his body. "Hold tight to the clarineto!" he cried.

The longboat was almost at the edge of the waterfall, and before we went over, Konstantin flashed an idea into my head- tie the clarineto to my body. I saw the sense in that, and I secured it to my waist just as the boat tipped over the edge.

I was thrown off the boat, and I could see Logan go tumbling off it too. I also received an amazingly clear view of how far I had to fall. And I felt the rope holding me to Konstantin begin to loosen. Somehow, I hadn't tied the rope tight enough, and now I was holding onto him for dear life.

I doubt that I would have been able to hold onto him for another millisecond, but we hit the cesspool of sewage filled water before I could find out. The rope holding us together came undone completely as we plunged down into the deep brown depths, but somehow we managed to stay close together.

Light pierced the surface and wafted down to where I was, and I realized, as Konstantin and I swam towards it, that it was actually sunlight. I would have dwelt further upon why there was sunlight, but my lungs were running out of air, and I was running out of energy. It seemed like there were miles between the surface and me, but I made one last great attempt to reach it, and my head broke the surface.

The sunlight I had seen below lit up the cesspool that I was in extremely well. And I looked at the surface of the water, and realized that despite the brown water of the roaring waterfall, the water I was in was clear. Come to think of it, there was no sewage in the water either. I looked around, treading water, and Konstantin swam around me, rejoicing in the clean water.

My eyes discovered a flailing Logan and Mackenzie. "Konstantin!" I cried. "Help Mackenzie!" He swam over to her, and I made it to Logan's side before he sank under the surface. I almost sank under the water myself when I grabbed him. Recalling the swimming classes I'd taken once at the Academy where I went to school, I shifted my grip so that I was supporting both Logan and myself.

I swam up against a sandy shore, and dragged Logan onto it. Konstantin revived Mackenzie, who in turn went to work waking up Logan. I looked around, curious. The air was rather warm- almost tropical and there was no one around. We had appeared at a seaside city.

"Where are we?" I asked Konstantin.

"I'm not sure," he replied. "Do you still have the clarineto?"

I reached to where I had tied it, and found the soft black velvet cloth was still dry, despite the soaking I had received. "Yeah." I pulled unwrapped the clarineto, and looked at it closely. "I wonder what it sounds like…"

"Play it, and we'll see," Konstantin suggested.

I put the instrument to my lips, and blew into it. Something inside me stirred, and I was playing a beautiful lament that I know I had never known before that moment. Maybe I would have kept playing, but Logan knocked the instrument forcefully out of my hands.

"What do you think you're doin'?" he demanded angrily. "We may be in another world, but that is no grounds for you to play that thing. It won't be long before the Magisterium figures out that we're in Cittagaze, and then we'll be in danger, because they'll be after us in full force."

"Why? Why the hell does it matter whether or not if I play the damn thing?" I demanded, my temper suddenly rising.

"Because it's much more than it looks, my gel, and you'd best not be wanting to find out more than you already know about that clarineto," Logan said, equal to my flaming temper.

I would have asked more, but I noticed shimmering figures floating nearby. "What're those?" I asked, my outburst completely forgotten for the moment.

"They're called Specters, and if it wasn't for that clarineto, we'd be half-dead, without our dæmons," he replied.

I lay down in the sand, idly running my fingers over the clarineto, staring up into the blue sky. Konstantin was deep in discussion with Mackenzie, and when I tried to listen in on their conversation, Konstantin walked over to me and flopped down on the sand. "What were you talking about?" I asked him, lazily.

His hazel eyes were weary, weary and tired and sad all at the same time, and just looking at them made me feel old. "The clarineto. It was made in Japan- that's why those funny characters are there- by a wandering ronin. He had decided to give up his life as a warrior, and took up the life of a bard, or whatever bards were called in Japan. The clarineto was made for him by a priestess, who blessed its kami and did something to it. The records of what it can do aren't around anymore, and all the Magisterium knows is that it is extremely valuable."

Logan looked over at us, and for the first time, as the sun caught his hair, I realized that he didn't look too bad. "Hey, Mischa! We should get a move on, before some Magisterium soldiers figure out where we've gotten to."

I glanced at our surroundings. "Logan, can't we stay just a little longer? It's so nice here, and I've never been to such a tropical place before," I protested.

In response, he stood, and Mackenzie followed suit. I would have stayed there, looking out into the lake, but Konstantin got to his feet. So I stood, and Logan led the way away from the shore, into the city, away from the sea.

_So here's Chapter Two. I hope you liked it! Holy crap… it's almost 12:15 AM… I feel like such a dedicated idiot.. Review, review, review, just to let me know that someone appreciates my hard work…hahah… _


	3. Chapter 3

This is Chapter Three! I am so proud of myself, my output has dramatically increased (at the decrease of all schoolwork) but that's okay, as long as I keep my story up and going! (don't worry, my classes are all easy, and I can keep a high B average without trouble) So, the disclaimer follows:

Disclaimer: _I claim only the characters and the clarineto itself, they are my fabrications!_

Chapter Three 

It was in mid-stride that I realized we hadn't seen Roth at all. And come to think of it, how on earth did I get into a new world? So I caught up with Logan and grabbed his arm.

"Logan, where the hell is Roth?" I demanded

"He was in the boat when it shattered. It's reasonable to assume that he shattered along with it," Logan replied coolly.

"He shattered along with it?" I was incredulous. "So he's dead? I thought you said you were his friend. You don't even care that he's dead!"

"I can remain calm, because there is the high probability that he landed on the shore back in our world, and that he's perfectly well and healthy, assuming he hasn't been caught."

"You bastard!" I spat, and managed to hit Logan's cheek.

Coolly- _Oh, boy, I am going to make him regret being so emotionless, _I thought- he wiped the spittle off of his cheek. Mackenzie and Konstantin were growling at each other, both with their fur fluffed up, and I had a feeling that this wasn't going to end prettily. "I care for Gannon, as much as you care for him, but you must recall that he's out of the immediate picture, and worrying about his wellbeing can wait until we're further away from this place."

I had definitely had enough of his stolid attitude, and I tackled him, dimly aware that Konstantin and Mackenzie were fighting tooth and claw. I managed to land several punches before Logan rolled me onto my back and pinned me down. I was keenly aware of his body heat, and I struggled against his strong grasp.

"Listen to me, Riva Mischa. I frankly have not a single high opinion of you, and you aren't making things better. I'm only helping you for Roth's sake, because he regarded you very highly. Don't make me regret it." He stared at me disdainfully, keeping my glare locked upon his green eyes.

We were like that for a moment before he released me, and I immediately leapt to my feet and brushed the sand off of my clothing. Konstantin was sitting on the sand next to me, demurely licking his shallow cuts that Mackenzie had given him. Logan was sitting in the sand, staring at the sea, as Mackenzie cleaned her injuries as well.

"You shouldn't have done that, and you know it," Konstantin said to me quietly when he had finished.

"I guess I let my temper take control too often," I replied, eyes still upon Logan's back.

"Go apologize, now, before it becomes too late," he said. "You might want to ask him any other questions we have too, because it's the best time for that."

So I walked over to Logan's side and sat down next to him- not too close- and stared out at the sea, ignoring the disdainful glance Mackenzie gave me. Konstantin walked over to her and talked to her quietly, and I sighed. "Look, Logan. I'm sorry I blew up at you. I was pissed at you because you didn't seem to care that Roth was gone." As I said this, I kept my gaze on the sea, not wanting to see his reaction to this apology that was wounding my ego big time.

We sat there in silence for a while, and finally he spoke. "Look at me, Riva." It was the first time that he'd called me by just my first name, so I did. He was staring at me, the ice gone from his eyes, and the sun caught his hair in just the right light so that it looked like it was on fire.

"What?" I croaked.

"I miss Roth, because he would be able to tell me what to do with you. And I have to be cold and rational, because you're so hot-headed that you become completely irrational and impulsive, and if we were both to be like that, then we'd be dead," Logan said, something different in the timbre of his voice. "And I can't afford to become as attached to anyone as I was to Roth, because attachment is a weakness that the Magisterium can exploit. So I have to be a cold, hard son of a bitch."

I tore my eyes away from him, because something was happening inside me, and if Logan said that we couldn't even be friends, I definitely couldn't allow what ever was happening to happen any longer. The sun was going down now- time here was different than what it was back in my world, for some reason. Maybe it was just the place, or maybe it was just the weather, or the world, or whatever. All I knew was that it was time to find somewhere to sleep.

"Logan- we need to find somewhere to stay for the night. Maybe one of the houses here is unlocked," I said, standing.

Startled, Logan stood too, and Mackenzie and Konstantin ended their conversation. We headed into the city, and I tried the door of the first hotel that we came across. It was unlocked, and we went in. No one was in the reception area, and there was only one set of room keys behind the desk.

"Not even a master key," I reported after ransacking the drawers of desk.

"Great," Konstantin said. "Let's hope that it's a double room."

As Logan headed for the staircase, Mackenzie began following him, and laughed softly. "You have that right."

"C'mon," Logan called, already halfway up the staircase. I leapt over the desk and ran to follow, Konstantin hot on my heels. We reached the first level and tried to open each door as we passed it. All of them were locked, and when we knocked, no one answered.

Logan looked at the number of the room on the tag of the key and swore. "1390," he read out loud. "That's ten floors up from where we are now, and we don't have any faster way to get up there."

"Let's get going then," Mackenzie said.

Hundreds of stairs later, we reached our room, and Logan unlocked it. I brushed past him, and found that the room contained a kitchen area, a bathroom station, one dresser, and a single bed. No couch, no armchair, nothing to sleep on except the bed and the floor.

"Great," I said. "Just peachy."

"Yeah," Logan agreed.

"Me 'n Konstantin have the bed," I said matter-of-factly.

"What?" Mackenzie asked, startled. "We shouldn't have to put up with you two. Logan and I deserve the bed."

Logan sighed. "Let's not argue. Why don't we settle this with Jan-Kan-Pon?"

"Sure," I said. It's not like Jan-Kan-Pon is that complicated. If you choose Jan, you make a fist, which defeats Pon, but loses to Kan. When you choose Kan, you put your hand out flat, and Pon defeats it. To make Pon, you put your hand out like it's a pair of scissors, and it defeats Kan, but loses to Jan. "What if there's a tie?"

Konstantin grinned wickedly at me. "Then everyone gets the bed."

"Okay," Mackenzie said, just as wickedly.

Logan and I put our hands out. As we said the words of the game, I rapidly calculated the odds, and figured that since most people choose Pon or Kan, I would do well to choose Jan. Logan had the same pattern of thought, and we tied.

"Best out of three?" I asked, still confident of a win.

"Sure." He replied.

Again, I calculated the odds, and chose Jan again, because it was likely that he would pick Pon, in anticipation that I would make Kan. We tied.

Konstantin and Mackenzie looked at each other and laughed. I glared at them. "You knew that this would happen, didn't you, Konstantin."

He shrugged. "Yes. You calculate exactly the same way that Logan does."

My ego was beyond repair. "Yippee," I said dryly. "I get the pillow."

"Wanna try?" Logan challenged.

"Why not?" I asked. "What else do I have to lose?"

I showered, gritting my teeth, grateful for the fact that the curtain was actually opaque. How could I have been so stupid? Of course we tied for the pillow. And the sheets. And the blankets. And the mattress. I dressed and stepped out of the curtain. Logan had been waiting patiently for me to come out- I had purposely used up all the hot water, and was pleased to hear him yelp in surprise.

Konstantin leapt happily onto the bed, taking the pillow for himself. I roughly pushed him off of it. "I'll take what I won, thank you very much," I said shortly, and climbed into the bed. I saw immediately that there was going to be no avoidance of bodily contact with Logan. The bed looked even smaller now that I was in it.

I rolled onto my side and faced the wall as Logan came out of the shower. I could feel his eyes examining how much room was on the bed. Konstantin was at my feet, and he was taking up all the foot-space available.

"Mischa?" Logan asked.

I rolled over and looked up at him. Thankfully, he was wearing pants and a shirt- I don't know what would have happened to me if he was barechested. "What?"

He awkwardly looked at his feet, and alternately standing on each of them. "Um-"

"Just say what you want to say."

"Well, there would be more room for our dæmons if we- y'know-"

And yes, I did know. And I didn't want it one bit. But there was the taboo. So it was necessary. "I know," I said. "It's fine with me. Just don't try _anything_."

"I swear it, I won't."

Logan climbed into the bed, and Konstantin made room for Mackenzie. I waited for the dæmons to get situated, and then allowed Logan to pull me closer. Painfully aware that he was good-looking, somewhat nice, holding me gently, and that we were in bed, I allowed myself to relax. When Logan felt me relax, I could feel the tenseness in his body to relax.

"You never answered my question," I said quietly.

"What question?" he asked.

"How old are you?"

"Nineteen. Why?"

"Just wondering," I replied. I couldn't give voice to the thoughts that went too far racing through my mind. "How'd we get to this world?"

"There's a window into this world somewhere in that cesspool we fell into, and you can only go through it when you swim upwards, 'cause the creator of it was near the bottom of the pool and needed to go to a different world at the time that he or she created it," Logan replied.

I yawned, breathing in his scent. "Logan?" I asked sleepily.

"Yeah?"

"Did you know you smell good?" I asked.

He chuckled. "This is from the girl who spat on my face less than two hours ago."

"You do."

"Thank you, very much, Riva." I didn't have anything else to say then. "Mischa?" he asked, his voice husky. There was something in his voice, and I didn't care anymore what happened inside of me when he talked that way. "Riva, please, look at me." I did. "Did you know you're beautiful?"

I blushed. "You're just putting me on," I said.

"Not unless you were when you said I smelled good."

"So you really mean it?"

In reply, he gently tilted my chin upwards and kissed me. And I didn't have a single problem with it.

So here the romance enters- I thought it was about time, even though its kinda a strained relationship, but it'll work out for this story. I apologize for the length to those of you that prefer short chapters, but it all rolling out and I would have lost the idea if I hadn't said everything that I did in this chapter. Review, review, and if you review some more, you'll receive a new chapter within the next two days!


	4. Chapter 4

So, dear reader(s), I begin the production of Chapter Four. I've been thinking that this story might be an interesting manga or anime, but I don't have the skills to illustrate this… I'll attempt to draw the characters… Hope that they don't turn out too horribly, please…

Disclaimer: Only the Characters, the Clarineto, and the plot are mine, nothing else, though I may have taken some writers liberties with certain things.

**Chapter Four**

The sun streamed in the room's sole window and woke me up. I was nestled comfortably in Logan's arms, and I didn't regret anything that I'd said the previous night at all. Konstantin woke when I did, and he crawled- ever seen a fox crawl? It's really funny- up my side of the bed until he was at eye level with me.

"Riva, we must find out what the clarineto does," he said quietly.

"When? Logan doesn't think that we're far enough from the Magisterium for it to be safe."

"We'll never be far enough away from the Magisterium."

I laid there, a million thoughts racing through my head, wondering how I had been able to play that lament. I felt Logan stir behind me, and I turned away from Konstantin to look at him. He looked so carefree and innocent, with his wavy red hair reaching halfway down his ears, concealing his forehead. And he was lying with his head tilted back over the pillow, mouth slightly opened.

I gazed at Logan, lying there for a few minutes until he woke up. It was definitely entertaining. First, his green eyes snapped open and he stretched. Then he yawned loudly and looked around. There was a split second of shock as he noticed me watching him, but then he relaxed- most likely remembering our conversation the previous night- and smiled lazily at me.

"G'morning," I said cheerily as Mackenzie woke up. "I hope I didn't scare you."

"No, not hardly," Logan replied lazily.

"Liar. I saw your eyes widen when you saw me here."

"Okay, I was scared then, because mostly I remember you trying to kill me."

I sniffed, and pretended to pout. "Is that the best memory you have of me?"

He laughed. "Of course not."

And then Mackenzie butted in. "Get up, lazy asses. We need to get out of here- Konstantin says that he hears people on the beach."

"What?" I said, and looked accusingly over my shoulder at Konstantin. "You didn't say anything to me."

Imagine a fox with an innocent look upon its face. I bet you can't. Want to know why? They're always guilty. But Konstantin tried the innocent look despite all that. "I just tilted my ears at the window, and she assumed that I had heard people." Mackenzie glared at him, which is actually kind of hard to imagine a red panda doing. "Okay, I did hear people. I just never said anything aloud."

Logan sat up, ruffled my hair, and then got out of bed, letting the cool morning air (at least, as cool as it can get in the tropics) under the sheets.

"Arrgh. Damn you, Logan. Now I'm cold… Grrrr," I growled, cursing my luck. Or at least, Logan's decision.

"And you're wide awake, too," Mackenzie observed as she hopped off the bed, following him.

Konstantin gave me a shove in the shoulder with his head and went to the window. I trailed behind him, reluctant to be out of bed, but eventually I got there. The sun was shining brightly, and the waters were clear. I saw footprints on the beach and following them more intently, I came upon a group of Magisterium soldiers, and all of them were sopping wet.

"Logan!" I cried, alarmed. "How'd they get here?"

Logan rushed over for a turn to peer out the window. "Dammit! I thought we'd have an extra day before they figured it out." He lifted Mackenzie up so that she could see over Konstantin.

She whispered to him, and then turned to me. "C'mon, grab your things, grab some food, we need to get the hell out of here!"

I grabbed the little rucksack I had constructed the previous night before my shower for the clarineto, changed while Logan was using the bathroom, used the bathroom myself, and then we were out in the hallway, our dæmons pacing uneasily as I locked the door. We thundered down the stairs, and on the level above the reception area, found a rose trellis that the owner of the place had constructed that led to a back alley.

Which of course, was blocked off. "Dammit!" I shouted. "We're fucking trapped here!"

"Shhh!" Logan shhh-ed, covering my mouth. "Where's the clarineto?"

I pointed at the rucksack on my shoulder.

"Take it out. It'll know what to do," he said, releasing me.

"It'll know? How the hell can that thing know?" I demanded. Konstantin barked quietly, and I remembered our conversation earlier. So I took the clarineto out of the rucksack, and out of its velvet covering, and took a deep breath before putting it to my lips.

My fingers moved without any input from my brain, and suddenly a mesmerizing tune poured out of the clarineto. I could see the notes that I played, and they formed a ring on the brick wall. As I continued to play, the notes disappeared, along with part of the wall itself. I took the clarineto away from my lips, and put it away.

Logan was already halfway through the hole in the wall, which led to a cobblestone street, and Konstantin and I hurried after him. I looked around, and found myself staring down the barrels of several guns, which were held by Magisterium soldiers. A quick glance in Logan's direction showed that he was in the same situation.

The commander of the soldiers was pleased by our sudden appearance, and a quick glimpse at his wolf dæmon showed that we were about to become bullet-ridden corpses.

"Now what?" I asked Logan. Instead of answering me, he winked at me, and then grinned that the commander.

"How's it going, Nialliv?" he asked.

Hehehe- a twist! Don't you love them? Well, since last chapter was long, I made this one a little shorter, so I'm uploading them at the same time! Review, tell me what you like about the characters, or dislike, review some more, and look for more updates!


	5. Chapter 5

Hola, amigos! I hope that the story of Riva Mischa has interested you so far, and I still think myself suicidal, writing so much in so little time. I guess I'm trying to get as much of Riva's tale in as possible before Easter Break ends (I've got a mere six days to write more, and only God knows whether or not I'll be able to post anything), so that I won't lose my plot line and come to a complete dead end like I have with short stories that I've written previously… Ah, well…Read and Review, because it means the world to me to know that others beside myself read my writings, and I need the support to finish this thing…

**Disclaimer:**_ I do not own the _His Dark Materials _trilogy, and I only claim the characters, events, and clarineto as my own._

Chapter Five 

I was surprised. No, I was shocked. And I was getting mad. "Logan? Can you tell me what the hell is going on?" I demanded. "No, wait- Drop the 'can you' and tell me what the hell is going on."

"Calm down, Mischa," Logan said, no longer letting any emotion touch his face. "Nialliv and I go way back."

"What do you have there, Bainbridge?" Nialliv asked. "Is that the girl that has the clarineto?"

I frantically shook my head at Logan, causing the soldiers surrounding us to laugh cruelly, but Logan ignored me and nodded an affirmative. "It's her. She's called Riva Mischa."

The commander turned his brown eyes back to me and grinned, his teeth stained by smoke leaf and crooked. "You'll be an interesting addition to our entertainment," Nialliv declared, and the soldiers chuckled cruelly. "But before we can contemplate that, we must bring her back so that she can be processed. Thank you, Logan, for this magnificent find. I owe you a few rounds of drinks."

Logan nodded, and some of the soldiers put aside their rifles before grabbing me roughly. "Logan!" I cried in alarm, and Konstantin tried to reach Mackenzie. But the Magisterium soldiers' dæmons blocked his way, and Logan didn't even glance over at me. The soldiers roughly tied my hands together, and pulled out a large piece of canvas from one of their travel packs.

"_LOGAN!_" I screamed once more, before I was tightly gagged. My eyes met Logan's, and I wanted to kill him, because he had betrayed me, and he was letting them do this to me. Konstantin was savaging the dæmons of my captors, but he was quickly pinned down, and I found out what the canvas was for.

Those soldiers that weren't holding me were laying the canvas out flat on the ground. Then I was shoved roughly to my knees and forced to lie on my back. Someone grabbed my hair, someone else my legs, and I was wrapped up like a fresh sandwich in the canvas as Konstantin was forced to lie down next to me. I could see nothing but white, I couldn't talk, I couldn't move, I was helpless, and someone swung me over his shoulder.

I could hear voices, but I could barely make out what they were saying. The canvas around me shifted as the person carrying me walked, and then I could hear clearly. "… We have enough canvas breathing bubbles for everyone?" It was Logan's voice- oh, how I shook with rage when I heard that bastard speak.

"Yes, sir. We don't need to worry about the girl- there's enough air trapped in there with her for her to breathe while we go back," said the man carrying me.

"And do we have enough weights?"

"Yes."

"What about the girl?" Logan queried. "How will we be sure that she'll sink with us?"

"I have extra weights, sir. And when we're under the window, I'll release both her and the weights. That way we'll both make it up, and then we'll be back where it's safe," the man replied.

"Be careful. The Carmelingo has taken special interest in the clarineto and its new owner. We cannot afford for her to be injured. "

"Yes, sir."

From what I could gather, the soldiers were going to go back through the window. They would have the newfangled canvas breathing bubbles, while I might die of suffocation or drowning. I didn't mind drowning when I was able to swim, but to drown trapped in canvas? My greatest fear was being helpless during any event when I might die or be harmed. I wriggled and writhed and twisted on the soldier's shoulder, trying to loosen my bonds, to escape the inevitable.

Instead of being dropped or released, I received a blow to the head from the butt of a rifle for my pains. I almost blacked out, but the sound of splashing kept me from falling that far. The sudden disappearance of the sound of crashing waves and the sudden coolness inside the canvas informed me that we were underwater, and that I was going to die.

I wriggled again, this time with the franticness of one facing death, and managed to slip free before strong arms wrenched me close to their owner's body. I thrashed wildly- or at least, as wildly as one can manage while underwater with one's limbs bound- but the person holding me merely tightened their grip.

Suddenly the water temperature decreased and the person holding me released me. I floated upwards as my air-supply decreased. It's a truly terrifying experience to feel the canvas around you shrink and expand as you try to draw as much air as possible into your lungs with your mouth gagged. And then I felt myself sinking. Konstantin whined, and I cried silently, tears pouring out of my eyes, soaking my face and hair. We kept on sinking, and I tried to break free of the canvas, blinding terror filling my mind, and if I hadn't been gagged, I would have screamed.

Warm arms suddenly encircled me, and I felt someone bring me tightly to their body. Water whooshed past us and I went limp with relief as I felt air against the damp canvas. There was splashing, and the person carrying me held me tightly against their chest, keeping me away from that horrible water. Konstantin was on my chest, and he licked my cheek reassuringly as we were carefully put down on the shore.

I heard the sound of ripping rope and canvas and sunlight blinded my eyes. My savior-for indeed he was- pulled the canvas away from me, and cut my bonds. He leaned over me to check my pulse in my neck, and the gentleness in the touch reminded me of a good memory from not so long ago. "Logan?" I croaked.

The person drew away, and I struggled to sit up. "No, wait!" I cried- or at least, tried to. And then my vision cleared, and I saw that it indeed had been Logan. "Logan!"

He looked at me coldly. "What do you want?"

Konstantin pressed his wet body against me, and I clung to him for both warmth and support. "Where are the soldiers?"

"Commander Nialliv was left behind- he missed the window, so the soldiers are trying to find him and bring him back."

"You saved me, Logan! Why?"

"No. I saved the clarineto."

"But why? Why didn't you take it away from me before we went through the window and leave me on the shore?" I demanded, hurt. "Why did you betray me?"

Logan stood up, and Mackenzie spoke quietly. "The Carmelingo has a special interest in the clarineto, and its current owner. It was for the clarineto, and for the Carmelingo's demand that you be alive when you reached him that Logan and I saved you. Nothing more."

Konstantin broke out of my arms and looked at Mackenzie intently. "Why?" he asked her, with his voice full of pain. "Was it all a game to you? Was there no semblance of friendship at all between us? Why did you betray us?"

Logan turned his back to us, and Mackenzie went over to him, speaking softly. There was a tenseness in his shoulders, and his stance was one of pained resignation, and there was no doubt in my mind that we were friends, and he wanted us to be more. "Logan," I whispered, tears filling my eyes. "Why?"

He wheeled around sharply, and his face was a mask of pain and rage. "I have been promised more wealth than I have ever had, and I cannot deny myself the life of luxury that Mackenzie and I have been waiting for ever since we were old enough to realize that being hungry hurt, and wearing the same rags for years at a time wasn't the only way of life. This is the chance of a lifetime, and if it means giving you over to the Magisterium, then so be it."

"But what about us? I thought maybe you cared for me, maybe I was good enough for you, I though that maybe you might feel the same for me that I feel for you," I said, the tears that I had struggled to control pouring down my face.

Logan's eyes seemed to be full of tears, but he was able to control them. "I did- I still do. But I need the money. Please, Riva, try to understand."

Konstantin licked my face dry, and then I felt something go cold inside me. "Oh, I understand. I understand all too well."

So, here is Chapter Five. Now, Logan is a traitor… how sad. Poor Riva, he seems to have betrayed her for money. Maybe he'll have a change of heart… Read and Review- I must have at least one review to post Chapter Six.


	6. Chapter 6

_I am grateful to that one person who reviewed- and I heartily agree- people must not read the _HDM_ section much, or they haven't discovered my little nook. Either way, I shall grace the world with another chapter! Please, review, and then I'll write even more!_

**Disclaimer:**_ I take only the clarineto, the world of tall trees, and the characters as my own invention, all else belongs to Phillip Pullman._

Chapter Six 

Splashing nearby offered a welcome distraction, and then Nialliv led his soldiers out onto the bank surrounding the cesspool. I took a small amount of pleasure seeing him arrayed with pieces of litter, but the quick grin I allowed caught his eye, and he slapped me hard, sending me backwards where I fell into a pile of rotting food. Involuntarily, I let out a shriek as the filthy matter enveloped me. The soldier's raucous laughter rung in my ears as I struggled to my feet.

I forced my way through the body of the still laughing soldiers to the filthy water and jumped in, washing myself of the filth and gaining a new layer of dirt and oil before I re-emerged. Nialliv was furious with me, and wanted me bound hand and foot until we reached the Magisterium headquarters. His dæmon looked as if she would like nothing better than to rip Konstantin apart. However, Mackenzie was blocking her way, and Logan was calmly speaking with the raging Captain.

Konstantin nudged me and I knew what he was thinking. I just needed to Nialliv angry with me once more, and then we could escape. I walked up to Nialliv, careful to keep my back to the water so that I would fall in and began taunting him. "Nialliv!" I shouted, gaining his attention easily. "How did a dimwit like you ever get promoted? I bet you en't a true soldier- your parents paid your way so that you could be important in the service."

"Shut up, stupid brat!" he shouted, blushing furiously. His soldiers had stopped laughing at me, and were beginning to chuckle at Nialliv.

"Your mother was a lazy slut in the red-light district, and your pa was a fat pompous bureaucrat that had too much time on your hands, and-" I would have continued insulting him, but finally he snapped and shoved me backwards, into the water. Konstantin leapt in after me, and I gave a wink to Logan and a salute to Nialliv before diving under. We swam down and down, and I thought we had missed the window when the water got warmer and we swam up, emerging back on the sandy shore.

"Where should we go?" I asked Konstantin. He looked around and a grin appeared upon his face. "What is it?" I asked him.

"There's an petrol boat near by," he replied. "From the scent, it's got plenty of fuel, _and_ it's got extra tanks with it." I grinned as well, and we ran to the waterline and walked down the beach until we had reached a pier. At the end of the pier, I saw the boat, and we quickly hopped into it. Luck was smiling upon us, for we also were able to discover food and a bunk underneath the deck. Without hesitation, I started the motor and throttled away from the dock quickly.

We were out in the middle of nowhere when I was forced to change fuel tanks, and there was no sign of land at all- no birds, the sky was clear, no a hint of green upon the horizon.

"Try the clarineto," Konstantin suggested. "It made a way through that wall- I'll bet that it can get us far away from the window where the soldiers are."

I pulled it out of my pocket where I had fastened it, and I was no longer surprised to see the black velvet cloth covering it dry and clean. Konstantin gave it a curious sniff before my fingers found the clarineto. I put the instrument to my lips and thought of what I desperately needed most at that point in time- to get away from Nialliv and his troops and, for all the pain he had caused me, Logan.

I blew, and the saddest tune I could have imagined emitted from the bell. It was the song of the pain and sorrow and fear I was feeling, the sadness that Logan had betrayed me, the fear of what the Magisterium might inflict upon me if it caught me. The notes converged around Konstantin and I, and I saw a vision of a harsh, wintry place that was far away but too uninhabitable to allow me to live. I mentally dismissed the image, and I saw a warm desert village consisting of adobe houses. It was perfect, but I saw no real plant life, something I had always wanted to be surrounded with. The next vision was of majestic trees, each large enough to contain a great cathedral, towering hundreds of feet over the ground. I could practically smell the sweet sap, and I knew that this forest was where I wanted to be.

The music grew louder, my fingers flew, and suddenly, I was standing on a wooden platform outside of a wooden house with large stained window that surrounded a tree trunk. Curious, I walked to the edge of the platform and looked over. If Konstantin hadn't been there to bite into my clothes to keep me on the platform, I would have fallen at least ten levels before coming close to hitting the ground.

Cackles met my ears as I turned around, and I pocketed the clarineto swiftly. The cackling had originated from a bent old man, and as I approached him, I realized that he had no dæmon. Horrified, Konstantin pressed himself against my leg, and I crouched down so that I could hold him in my arms.

"Here, now, girl. What's wrong with you? That's a demon creature, that is," he said. "Foxes ain't good for no one."

"S-sir," I managed to say weakly. "W-why don't you have a dæmon?" Konstantin was eyeing the old man with both horror and curiosity.

"Dem-" the man began and then a look of horror and shock spread over his own face. "No… You've got the clarinet, don't you...You couldn't have gotten here without it…" Quickly, he motioned for me to follow him around the side of the stained-glass window and with Konstantin still close to me, we entered the colorful house.

There was a hammock strung, and the walls that weren't stained glass were covered with bookshelves. There was a table with two chairs, and the strange man bade me to be seated while he disappeared to delve into an old wine rack stuffed with scrolls rather than bottles of alcohol. Konstantin hopped up onto my lap as the man returned.

"Pull out the clarinet," he ordered as he unrolled and weighted down a scroll. I pulled out the clarineto and set it down upon the table. He laid it upon the scroll next to the drawing of an identical clarineto as well as drawings of a violin made of dark brown striped wood. "Do you know what these do?" he asked as he reverently laid the violin of the picture on the table.

"We figure that the clarineto does whatever you want it to while you play it," Konstantin said.

"These are the only two instruments of such power created. Only the wandering ronin that created them can embody such power in any man-made creation, and he died during his last visit in this world. The Magisterium hunted him even then. I was unable find the clarinet because it wasn't in this world, but if the Magisterium gets either of these instruments… I won't even think of what could happen," the man said. He leaned across the table and caught my eyes. "Never, never let the Magisterium get ahold of the clarinet. Never. Die before you will give it up. Understand me, girl?" he demanded.

I thought of Logan, of Nialliv, and of Roth. "I understand you, sir. I will never give it up. No matter what," I promised grimly. "May I stay here?" I asked him. "I've no where else to go right now."

"I shouldn't allow it," the shrunken old man said. "The villagers will kill me if they find out. Use the clarinet and get out of here."

"Please, sir," I begged. "Not yet- it's too soon. Let me stay just a week."

"One week," he said. "No more. Let me go find you something to wear."

He disappeared out the door, and Konstantin leapt from my lap to the table and looked at the drawing and violin. "We should go tomorrow," he said. "This man is strange, and if his people are all dæmon-less and believe foxes to be evil, we will be discovered quickly."

I sighed. "Where will we go?"

Before Konstantin could answer, the old man reappeared with clothes for me. There was a pair of sandals with two buckles that buckled across the main body of the wearer's feet, and there was no thong separating the wearer's toes and there was no supporting strap to keep the sandals in place. The sandals were comfortable looking, and I put them when the man handed them to me.

"I'll leave now and get food. You can get changed while I'm gone," he said as he handed me the rest of the clothes. He left, and I quickly slipped into the new clothes. The shirt was soft, with no itchy spots at all, and it was dyed a light green. The skirt had a relatively shallow and square pocket, not big enough to fit the clarineto. I decided to ask the man how I could store the clarineto when he returned. We sat at the table and waited for him to bring the food.

The old man entered carrying a covered basket and a small wooden block. He set the basket on the table and handed me the wooden block. "It's a case for the clarinet," he said. "I've also gotten new reeds for you, because the one you have now is chipped and cracked."

I pulled out the clarinet and looked at it with curiosity. "How do I get it apart?" I asked him, afraid to break the keys. He shook his head at me and then took it from my hands and swiftly disassembled it. Then he showed me how to reassemble it and how to change reeds. I repeated the disassembly process and put it in the case. Much to my delight, the case was lightweight, even with the clarineto in it, and it fit the pocket perfectly.

"Girl, you've got to leave after we eat," the man said, dishing out some food.

"Why?" I asked. "You said earlier that we had a week."

"I don't know how they got here, but there's a platoon of Magisterium soldiers here. Their commander is rather vicious, and he's looking for you."

I gasped. Only Nialliv had reason to look for me. Quickly, I grabbed some bread loaves and a bottle of water and thrust them into a rucksack lying nearby. "Thank you for your hospitality," I told the man. "I'll leave now, before you get in trouble for hiding me."

Wondering why the man hadn't said anything about Logan, I swiftly opened the door. Konstantin barked in alarm, and I found that someone was blocking my way. Looking up, I realized that it was Logan.

_So here's Chapter Six, and review and I'll make Chapter Seven happen… It's off to school for me now…_


	7. Chapter 7

I'm glad people appreciate this tale enough to review! A little something to keep in mind- if there's a name or place that you've never heard of before, and the name is mine, try reading it backwards! ( - It's my little way to give characters names!) I hope this chapter is enjoyable, and I can assure you that Logan is in it!

**Disclaimer: **I do not claim to have invented anything found in the _HDM_ trilogy, including people, places, concepts, or items.

Chapter Seven 

"Logan!" I cried, shocked and angry. Konstantin growled as he spotted Mackenzie behind her human.

"Is anything wrong?" the old man asked. In horror, I realized that the violin was still lying upon the table in plain site to anyone that might enter the home.

"No," I called. "I thought I saw someone I knew, but it was just a trick of my eyes." As I spoke, I motioned for Logan to move out of the doorway so that I could exit the house.

"All right. Hurry, girl, them soldiers are coming," the man said.

I stepped outside and closed the door behind me before trying to run from Logan, who caught my wrist and pulled me to him. I tried to scream, but Mackenzie pinned Konstantin down and put her paw upon his windpipe. Gripping my arms tightly, Logan kept me pinned against him as he walked me across a bridge to platform that had no other ways to reach it. There was no house surrounding the tree, I noticed.

Logan released me, and I tried to run away once more. "Riva," he said. "Please, just hear me out." Mackenzie approached Konstantin, who backed away from her towards me.

"Why should I?" I demanded, the growing night our only eavesdropper. "Tell me why I should listen to you. You're a traitor."

"Riva, they've paid me. I've got the money. I don't need to work with them anymore. Let me come with you," he said.

I wanted to believe him with all my heart. I truly did. "You betrayed me so easily! Now you're telling me you'll betray the Magisterium just as easily." I was yelling now, but Logan approached me and put a finger to my lips. I trembled with pent up rage and something else.

"Riva, please, believe me," he begged, his eyes boring into mine.

I tore my eyes away from his. "I can't trust you right now, Logan. You've destroyed the trust I had." Mackenzie was trying to nuzzle Konstantin's neck, but he stepped away.

"I know. I am sorry," Logan said. "I didn't know that it would hurt so much when I betrayed you." He tilted my chin upwards so that my eyes met his. "But I love you, Riva. I don't know why. I don't understand how. But I understand that betraying you was the biggest mistake of my life. Please give me another chance."

"Another chance?" I asked him, incredulous. "I have no extra chance to give you."

He pulled me close to him, and I tried to stay calm. "Mischa, does it mean nothing to you that I love you? Does this mean that you regret everything you said two nights ago?"

In my heart, I knew that I loved him, and that no, I didn't regret what I had said. "Logan-" I began, my eyes brimming with tears.

"We can leave together, Riva," he said gently, holding me gently. "Please, just give me a chance." I was caught in his green eyes, and then he kissed me. The sweet scent of the trees in the forest mingled with Logan's scent, and all I wanted right then and there was to always be with him. And then I realized where we were, and I broke the kiss. "What is it?" Logan asked, his eyes full of love and longing.

"I can't stay with you," I replied. Konstantin freed himself also from Mackenzie's nuzzling and joined me.

"But don't you feel anything for me?" Logan asked. "Was that kiss just a trap for me?"

"I do feel something for you," I said. "And I did not give that kiss- you took it from me. And now I have to go." I started to walk onto the bridge, but again Logan grabbed my arm, this time more gently. "Logan-"

"Please, Riva-"

"Logan…"

"Let me go with you."

"I-"

"I love you, Riva," Logan said.

"Logan, I must-" Before I could complete my sentence, Logan pulled me into his arms this time, and just held me. I was openly crying now, and Konstantin was licking Mackenzie's face. We kissed again, and this time, I didn't try to break it off.

Shouts reached my ears, and I saw that the Magisterium soldiers had set some of the houses on fire, and were making their way to the old man's home next. I shoved Logan away, forcing to knock his head upon the tree and ran across the bridge, Konstantin close at my heels. He flashed a thought into my head, and I quickly severed the bridge ropes with a knife nearby that was used to splice fibers. "I love you, Logan," I said softly as I stranded him there, hoping that he would be all right later. And then I cut the other bridges that connected the old man's house to other platforms and quickly put together the clarineto.

Familiar notes filled the air, and visions flashed through my head once more. I saw the swampy under levels of the world I was on now, I saw the Oxford of my world, I saw the hotel from Cittagazze, and then I saw huge rolling plains, with gigantic tower-like structures covered with wide conical roofs, with steps in spirals hugging the strange buildings. With an extra note, I was able to see the people that lived in the buildings, and to my delight, they all had dæmons.

One last look behind me showed Logan to be slumped up against the tree where I had left him, unconscious, and then I accepted the vision.

I appeared with Konstantin in the center of a dirt path edged with grasses that were a little taller than my waist that led to two of the towers standing side by side, and we saw that the towers were made of wood. It took about an hour of walking to reach them, and I saw that the stairs of one tower were bustling with men of all ages, and the other was jam-packed with women and their children.

"Which one should we go to?" I asked Konstantin.

He shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe these towers are divided by gender…"

"I think you're right," I said, and led the way to the tower of women. The sheer size of the towers amazed me- they must have been more than half a kilometer tall, and a quarter of a kilometer in diameter. We confidently walked to the tower of girls and their dæmons, and I would have entered the wide doorway at the tower base, but somehow Konstantin and I were forced to go up the spiral stairs. It took a long time for us to reach the top and the women's and young girls' dæmons that were going the opposite way managed to scratch or bump into Konstantin the entire time. I almost went off the edge of the stairs several times as women and children shoved their way past me.

We reached the room under the roof, where a long table was laid out, and seventeen women and their dæmons handed out and received forms. I approached one of the women and asked her what was going on.

"Everyone is applying for a permit to live here," she replied.

"So I can't go downstairs without a permit?" I asked.

She laughed. "You can't leave this room without one- you must have a permit to live in or a permit to leave the tower or else this room is your new home."

I asked her for a permit to live in the tower, and she handed it to me, as well as a fountain pen with which to fill it out. Konstantin found a small bit of floorspace that hadn't been taken up yet, where I proceeded to fill out the required information. They wanted merely my name, my dæmon's name, my height, my weight, and what I was going to bring into the tower with me. I had to estimate my height and weight, because the measurements that they wanted them in were of the New World system, but I was able to return the form to processing girl quickly.

She handed me a temporary pass for a room, told me the rules, and handed me a pamphlet of the year's general schedule. Konstantin and I were allowed to step onto the tight one-person-and-dæmon hoist that took me down to the floor level where my room was located. A cursory glance at the room pass for my room number was all I needed before finding it.

"Room X26," I said to Konstantin as I opened the door. "Our new home."

I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. Next chapter will reveal more about Riva's features and background (thank you MistressofMagic3- I think that's your penname on this- for pointing out the lack of features and background of my characters. I'll use the next two or three chapters to more descriptively describe the characters in addition to the usual plot structure.), and I hope you will review so that I can get it posted! 


	8. Chapter 8

_I will say nothing about this chapter- instead, I will inform all you people that are out there that I got my wisdom teeth removed Friday, and now I look like I gained twenty pounds because of my face._

**Disclaimer: **_I don't claim anything in here that isn't mine, but I think only dæmons are the things I'm using in this chapter that Phillip Pullman invented._

Chapter Eight 

The room was bare except for a couple of pieces of furniture, a bathroom, and a kitchen. At the door there were polished stone tiles, and I slipped my sandals off before examining the room more closely. The texture of the floor was so smooth I felt like I was walking on water, and as Konstantin hopped onto a soft bed with blankets of earthen tones, I sat down in a chair shaped like half of an egg with green cushions.

Konstantin dozed off, and I began examining the general schedule for the year. Apparently, I had arrived two days before the annual Choosing, but I could find no description of what the Choosing was. The calendar told me only that all residents of the tower were to dress in their best and go about their business for the day. I noticed that the day after the Choosing, there was an event called the Blocks, and there was absolutely nothing but the words "The Blocks" on the calendar.

I yawned, and Konstantin woke up. "Riva, why don't you open the curtains?" he asked me. For the first time, I noticed that the wedge shaped room had curtains along the outermost wall. Konstantin trotted over to them and disappeared behind them as I followed him. A quick tug at a cord opened the curtains and I gasped.

The view was spectacular. Rolling hills of the tall grass spotted with towers stretched as far as I could see, and the sun was setting, lighting up the grass like liquid gold. My window gave me a partial view of the men's tower, and I could see that it was just as busy as the women's tower. I could have stood their until nightfall, but my stomach growled, despite the fact that I had eaten about an hour and a half ago in a different world.

Ducking into the kitchen, I found it extremely plain but elegant, with cabinets full of food. There was a strange box in the corner of the room with a handle on the top and on the bottom squares. I pulled the top one and a door, which I had thought to be just a decorative square, opened, sending wisps of steam into the air. I stuck my hand inside and withdrew it instantly, for the box was freezing inside!

I closed the top door and opened the one on the bottom. It was cool too, but not nearly so cold as the top freezer. Both boxes were filled with food, and after I fiddled with the anbaric stove, I heated some food up and cut up an apple that I had found in the lower portion of the freezer.

After my meal, I explored the bathroom. There was a soft pair of cream colored baggy trousers and a loose fitting top of the same color. I showered and Konstantin frisked about as much as he could, cleaning his fur from the filth we had picked up two worlds ago. The hot shower water rained down upon us for quite some time, and then I reluctantly turned it off and got dressed in the clothes I had found.

Yawning, I noticed the sun had gone down, and closed the curtains before crawling into bed. It was a large bed, and it could probably fit two people with their dæmons at the least. As Konstantin snuggled up to me, I found myself wondering if Logan was okay. Sleep claimed me, and I settled into it happily.

A sharp rapping upon my door awoke me, and my eyes snapped open. For a moment I just laid there, disoriented, before getting out of bed and walking to the door. I opened it and found a old crone dressed in rags looking up at me. Her marmoset dæmon peered at Konstantin from its safe perch upon the crone's head.

"Yes?" I asked, annoyed at having been awakened so abruptly.

"It's Choosing Day. You've got fifteen minutes before you need to be up on the main floor in your best clothes." The crone eyed my messy hair disdainfully. "And do something about your hair before you get up there." With that, she left, and I closed the door.

"Why is this Choosing Day so important?" I asked Konstantin. "And why don't they tell us anything about it?"

"I dunno," he replied. "But we don't want to get in trouble for being their late."

I quickly changed and brushed my hair. For the first time, I really looked at myself in a mirror. My dark brown eyes peered back at me, and I realized that my light brown hair had grown rather long since my last haircut when I was thirteen. I quickly pinned the upper half of my hair in the center of the back of my head and let the rest hang loose. My not-quite-pale complexion was flawless without a pimple or freckle, but it still left something to be desired.

"We've got five minutes," Konstantin said, looking at a clock nearby. Hurriedly, I slipped my feet into the sandals the old man had given me, and we ran to the hoist. It traveled slowly, for apparently there was a hoist on every level, and they ran like a conveyor belt, but we finally made it to the main floor.

There was a tall, willowy blonde speaking from a podium, her voice amplified so that everyone could hear it. "Thank you all for coming to this year's Choosing," she said, just beginning her speech. Konstantin and I stood along a wall since all the seats were taken, and I eyed the other women and girls in them curiously. "As usual, you will be asked to remain on this floor until fifteen of you are chosen that fit this year's qualifications. Refreshments will be given out at the tables on my left" -she waved in the general direction of the tables- "so that no one will be hungry or thirsty." The woman yawned, obviously not thrilled to be up at this hour. "When you are approached by a judge, he will ask you many questions and he may ask you for certain measurements. In order for the Choosing to go smoothly, please comply with whatever they ask of you." She started to step down from the podium, but the remembered something and returned to her former position. "For those of you new to the Choosing, I just want to let you all know that the judges are all men from our brother tower. Have a nice day."

The girls and women that had been sitting so attentively quickly developed into circles of friends or acquaintances whose talking filled the room. Konstantin nudged me towards the refreshment table, where I snagged some fruits for my breakfast as well as a small loaf of bread and a bottle of water. I ate my breakfast and examined the judges and girls around me. No one made an effort to speak to me, so I gave them the same treatment and found a chair near one of the expansive windows.

The day continued onwards, without any person approaching me. I ate lunch and returned to my chair. My stomach was growling for a dinner when a tall muscular man with dark brown hair cropped short and almost black eyes approached me. His dæmon was a shimmering black viper, and her tongue constantly flickered out of her mouth, testing the air. He could only be one of the judges.

"Excuse me, miss," he said, dark eyes examining me. "Have you been questioned yet?"

I shook my head. "No. Will this take long? I'm hungry."

The judge's eyes flashed. "You aren't going anywhere until I have finished with you."

"Whatever," I replied. "Take a seat. I'm sure your legs are sore from standing."

He flashed me a grin as he sat and then pulled out the list of questions. "Name?"

"Riva Mischa," I replied.

"Name of dæmon?"

"Konstantin."

"Age?"

"Fifteen."

"Hair color?"

"Can't you see that yourself?" I asked him.

"You're the one who's supposed to be answering the questions."

"Why don't you fill out the ones you can see for certain?"

He laughed. "You're very rude, Riva Mischa."

"So?"

"Height?"

"In what system of measurement?" I demanded, hoping that he wouldn't say New World.

"New World."

"Damn you!" I exclaimed. "I think it's five foot six."

"Weight?"

I looked up at him angrily. "Don't you have access to our registration forms?"

"Nope. Weight?"

"I think it's 130 pounds."

"Thank you for your time, Riva Mischa," the judge said, rising to his feet.

"Wait!" I exclaimed. "What's your name?"

"Joram Atrophi," the man said. "Now, I really must move on." Joram left, and Konstantin looked at me curiously.

"What was that all about?" he asked me.

"What was what?" I asked innocently.

"Why did you ask him for his name?" Konstantin demanded. "He's just a judge. Unless-"

"He wanted to know mine, so I felt that it was only right," I replied cattily.

Konstantin would have said more, but the willowy blonde took the podium again. "Attention!" she called, and everyone stopped their activities and sat down to listen. "The judges have questioned everyone here, and they have given me the names of the Chosen. When you hear your name called, please approach the judges that questioned you." Her dæmon- for some reason, I hadn't seen it earlier- was a nervous little robin. "Now, I shall announce the names of the Chosen. Vanessa Janot! Melinda Ivor! Kala Dalston! Eleanor Prescott! Bethany Arvad!" My thoughts drifted away from the Chosen being anounced when I heard my name. "Riva Mischa! Adena Gershom!"

I approached the judges and found Joram. He beamed at me before the blonde began to speak again. She dismissed those who weren't chosen, and then she approached us once the others were all gone. "Congratulations!" she gushed. "You are the luckiest fifteen out of all of the Tower's citizens!" She handed us all chain bracelets made out of gold. "Wear these as a sign of your superiority!" I looked at mine disdainfully. "You there!" she cried, pointing at me. "Why do you not put on your bracelet?"

"Begging your pardon, ma'am, but I don't feel particularly superior to all the others that live here," I said boldly.

"It's not a sign of superiority, really. You just wear it for the week and then your life goes back to normal," the blonde said, her voice trembling. "I have one too." She held out her wrist. "You'll make me unhappy if you don't wear yours," she promised, sniffing as if she was barely holding back her tears.

I had to laugh. "Alright. What harm can it do?"

Riva decided to stay at the tower because she didn't want to use the clarineto again so soon after she had just used it.

_Tell me what you think of this chapter! I'm so proud of myself, posting another one. Oh, and tell me what you think of Riva being Chosen. I'll give you a teaser and let you know that it isn't good!_


	9. Chapter 9

_Thanks for the reviews, guys. I'll keep this commentary short- merely to say that this story will _**NOT**_ end with Chapter Ten! I'm so proud of myself. Now read, enjoy, and review ( -my obviously unnecessary requests)!_

**Disclaimer: **I claim everything in this chapter as my own, minus any ideas the _His Dark Materials_ Trilogy written by Phillip Pullman created by Phillip Pullman ( - I'm running out of creative disclaimers, much to my dismay, sorry for any confusion).

Chapter Nine 

Indeed, life processed as if I had never been one of the chosen the entire week. I was relatively ignored, and the only sign that I had been Chosen besides the bracelet I wore was the fact that I was permitted to take the finest foods from the banquet tables at dinners anywhere in the tower. Konstantin sniffed the bracelet each night as we lay in bed, and I could tell that he didn't trust the blonde who had convinced me to wear it.

The sixth night after I had been chosen, we had decided to go to bed early, and I held up my wrist, examining the bracelet as I lay in my nice bed. Konstantin sniffed at it again, and then eyed it closely. "There's some sort of enchantment on this," he said.

"Huh?" I replied. "Magic? There's no such thing."

He quietly laughed. "Remember that the clarineto brought us here. There is definitely something wrong with you if you don't realize that magic is entirely possible in worlds other than our own." Then he lost all traces of humor. "Don't ask me how, but I can smell the enchantment, and it isn't good."

"Then I'll just take it off and hand it in tomorrow," I replied.

"Now."

I fiddled with the bracelet, trying to find the clasp. "Konstantin, there's no clasp." I heard his sharp intake of breath, and more frantically, I tried to find some weak link in the chain, but my searches were fruitless. Trying to pull the bracelet off didn't work either- the loose fitting chains that slid up and down my arm refused to come off my hand.

"What about the clarineto?" Konstantin asked me. I retrieved and reassembled it and sat back down on the bed. For some reason, my thoughts were rattled, and Konstantin's sense of complete fear rolling across our bond wasn't helping me concentrate. Finally, I tried calming my breathing. Once my pulse and breathing had returned to their normal state, I put the clarineto to my mouth. As always, my fingers moved upon their own accord as I blew, and I concentrated on my intense need to have the bracelet off my person.

The bracelet glowed white and seared my arm. I cried out and dropped the clarineto into my lap. The skin underneath the bracelet was burnt badly and already blistering, and I had a feeling that not even the powers of the clarineto could remove the enchanted bracelet. I disassembled the clarineto and put it back in its case. As I climbed back into bed, Konstantin heard something, and he began growling at my door.

"What is it?" I asked him, already changing into the clothes that the old man had given me more than a week ago.

"People. Coming this way. They sound like men, and-" Konstantin began, but I didn't wait for him to finish before opening one of my windows. Several stories down, I could see a strong net that was used to catch things that might fall from any level of the tower. As the door was forced open, Konstantin leapt into my arms, and I in turn leapt out into the air.

The fall was a long one, and I had a wonderful view of the men that had broken into my room leaning out of my windows. And then there was a huge jolt as we hit the net, and we bounced a few more times before finally settling. The men at my windows were gone now, and I had no doubt that they were racing to beat me to the ground. I spotted a smaller net closer to the ground and ran over to the space separating it from the net I was on with great bouncing strides.

A short leap and long drop resulted in Konstantin and I landing upon the smaller net. Quickly, we leapt to the ground and began running out into the area of the plains from whence we had originally come. There was a great roaring sound, and I turned and saw men pouring out form the male tower and hopping onto flying vehicles that could over take me quickly.

Fortune must have been with me, for almost as one, all the eyes that had been upon my receding shape were momentarily diverted, and Konstantin and I dropped to the ground, burrowing under layers of dead grass with an extra meter of grass overhead. The roar of the flying vehicles increased, and despite the fact that my instincts were directing me to run, I stayed hidden.

We huddled together, hidden under the grass as roaring vehicles flew by all around us, and eventually the constant roar and the sweet smell of the night grass put us to sleep.

The morning sun and small rodents scurrying through the grass nearby awakened us, and for a moment I couldn't recall where I was. Then the previous night's events resurfaced in my mind, and I remembered the bracelet. Looking at it, I discovered the clasp had returned, and I gratefully removed it and threw it off into the grass. Konstantin licked my face and then we surfaced, warily peering over the tops of the grasses.

In the space between the two towers, I could see a platform surrounded by men and some girls stood in chains next to a podium. The sun glinted off their wrists, and I saw that they were all wearing the bracelets of the Chosen. A round of applause greeted my ears, and a burly man roughly grabbed the girl in the center of attention.

Horrified, Konstantin and I watched the proceedings and when the crowd had dissipated, I sunk down onto the grass. So those Chosen were sold as slaves to those of the neighboring tower. Which means that the reason I had been forced to flee my room the previous night was because the men were collecting the Chosen. And that meant that I had very narrowly managed to escape slavery myself.

Konstantin nudged my hand. "The clarineto- did you bring it with you?"

Frantically, I patted down my pocket and a sinking feeling appeared in my stomach. "No. I left it. Dammit! That was our chance to get out of here!" I swore, and then continued swearing with curses strong enough to make even the most seasoned sailor blush.

Konstantin's hazel eyes met mine. "We must go get it back. It's the only way we can leave this world. Otherwise we'll be caught and sold into slavery."

"But if we're caught while we try to get the clarineto back, then we'll be sold into slavery as well," I replied, despairing.

"Riva. Listen. It is essential that we get the clarineto back. If we don't, we'll die. We must go back to our own world or else we'll die."

"How do you know?" I demanded.

"I just do. It's like the magic on the bracelet- I could smell it," Konstantin replied.

"And I suppose you smelt out this piece of handy information?" I asked, near tears and altogether weary of traveling through worlds.

"No, actually, that one I heard somewhere in our own world."

Resigned, I sighed. "Alright. We'll go get the clarineto back. But first, I want to know how."

Konstantin cleared away the dead grasses until we reached dirt, and then, using his paw, he drew a rough sketch of the tower. "There are enchantments here, here, and here," he said, indicating the specified areas with his paw. "We can use the clarineto to escape the tower. The tough part's getting in."

"Of course it is," I said sarcastically. "They'll definitely be waiting for us with open arms and just hand me back the clarineto."

"That would be nice," Konstantin replied, "but unfortunately, you were Chosen. You can't just boldly walk into the tower and demand your clarineto back."

"Actually," I replied. "I was thinking of a more subtle way to get back to the room that I left it in."

_Tsk tsk. Riva managed to lose the clarineto already. Don't you love my cliffhanger? Anyways, review, review, review. I should be able to update this store once more this week if I am fortunate enough to be able to reside at my computer for an hour or so._


	10. Chapter 10

So sorry about the delay- these essays for AP US History are killing me… Anyways, here's the next chapter. Read and review! But you must enjoy it before you review… so read and see if you enjoy!

**Disclaimer: **I claim only my original ideas- Phillip Pullman is to be credited as my inspiration and as the brain behind the His Dark Materials Trilogy. I claim no possession over the ideas presented in the trilogy or in Lyra's Oxford.

Chapter Ten 

We waited until nightfall before approaching the tower. It was no small matter to avoid the invisible enchantments that would signal our approach, but Konstantin led the way and we were at the base of the tower within a few minutes. Boldly, I strode up the winding ramp to the top floor. People waiting for admittance into the tower were slumped all over the walkway, and we were careful to avoid stepping on both them and their dæmons.

We reached the floor where my former room was, and managed to break into an abandoned room that for some reason or another had a shattered window. Sounds of raucous laughter rang out below, drifting through the tower from the party rooms several floors down. Konstantin sniffed the air as we pulled open the door onto the lighted corridor, and flashed the warning that our room smelled of something unnatural.

I nodded and gently walked on the balls of my feet, keeping my center of gravity balanced so that I made almost no sound approaching my room. The door was closed, but it had been smashed through when the mysterious men had chased us, and my small form easily fit through the splintered hole.

I rushed to the bed, frantically searching the sheets for the small clarineto's case.

"Riva, there's people coming! We must have tripped some sort of alarum," Konstantin whispered fiercely, watching me anxiously.

"I can't find it!" I cried. Pounding footsteps sounded down the hall as my fingers grabbed the familiar case. I jammed the pieces together, as gently as I could, but in my rush my actions were rather violent. I placed the reed on the mouthpiece, fastened the ligature, grabbed Konstantin, and pictured the city where I had grown up in.

The chords I played seemed to slow time- I could feel them wrapping around me like a warm cocoon. The footsteps entered the room, and hands lunged for us as I felt a great wrench and the room disappeared.

Konstantin licked my face as I came to lying in a pile of rags in a familiar alley. They were dirty, but didn't smell too bad. I felt around and found the clarineto neatly packed into its case lying on some clean cobblestones. After putting it into my pocket, I rose and looked around. Busy streets lay at each end of the alley, and Konstantin silently trotted behind me as I stuck my head around a corner.

I was just a few blocks away from the school I had run away from so long ago. A man with a copper-colored cat dæmon looked at me oddly and quickly Konstantin and I rushed to the other end of the alley. I brushed myself off before stepping out into the street. As the anbaric street lamps came on, it had begun to drizzle slightly, and I was without an umbrella. Suddenly a large umbrella appeared overhead, as if I had made it appear out of thin air.

Surprised, I turned to face the man with the cat dæmon. He was wearing a fine black suit covered by a long navy blue pea coat. A quick glance at his face showed him to have short black hair and dark brown eyes. He looked to be about twenty one, and there was something in the smile he offered me that told me that he had no trouble finding someone to keep his bed warm when he wanted it.

"You aren't dressed for the weather, miss," the man said, escorting me down the street.

Konstantin watched the man's dæmon with great interest.

"I've just arrived," I replied, stating the truth.

"One would think that you might have thought to pack accordingly," he said. "My name is Cole Nevin, and my dæmon is Rennen."

I glanced at Konstantin before replying. "I am called Riva Mischa, and my dæmon is called Konstantin." We had walked quite some distance before I realized that my stomach was growling. "My apologies, Mr. Nevin. I haven't eaten in quite some time."

"Why don't we go back to my flat? I have plenty of food and drink there," Cole offered.

"That would be wonderful," I replied.

The rain picked up, and by the time we had gotten to Cole's apartment, I was freezing. As Cole unlocked the door, Konstantin shook off his fur and we stepped inside. The flat wasn't lavishly appointed, but it was much nicer than the flats that I had grown up in. The furniture was of middle class quality, but the floors were covered with plush reddish-brown carpeting. The walls were lined with books, and the soft anbaric lighting made me feel like I was lost in some magical library.

"I know it's not much, but it keeps me happy," Cole said, having hung up his pea coat at the door. "I'll be with you in a moment- I fear that if I spilt something on this suit, I would be forced to buy a new one." I nodded, and he disappeared in to the bedroom of the flat. He didn't quite close the door all the way, and I could see that he had a muscular torso.

Konstantin gave me a sharp nip, silently scolding me for looking. I sighed, and then turned to study the books on his wall. There were poetry volumes from all over the world, and I was about to scan Cole's other wall, but he emerged from his room, dressed in dark pants and a grey sweater.

Rennen looked at Konstantin as if she knew that he knew that I had been watching her human. Konstantin whispered something in her ear, and Rennen laughed softly. I couldn't avoid looking at Cole, and to my surprise, he was looking at me.

I began studying the carpet with great interest, and Cole moved into the kitchen area. "Would a salad and some roast be alright? I'm afraid I'm not the greatest cook," he informed me.

"I don't mind, Mr. Nevin," I said.

"Call me Cole- Mr. Nevin makes me feel like I'm thirty, and I'm only twenty-three," Cole called from the kitchen as he cooked. I was only off by two years when I guessed his age. Interesting.

Dinner was ready within a half-hour, and I began eating ravenously. Cole coughed politely, stopping me with a mouthful of salad. "I'm afraid I pray before my meals, and I ask my guests to do the same." Embarrassed, I bowed my head as Cole prayed aloud. There was a sinking feeling in my stomach as I looked over at his hands. On his right ring finger, there was a Magisterium ring.

_Dammit! _I thought. _Ensnared by a Magisterium official already…_ Quickly, I finished eating and watched Cole cut his meat into bite size pieces. "Er- Cole, may I use your bathroom?" I asked.

"What's wrong, Riva?" he asked calmly. "Have you realized that I work for the Magisterium? Do you think that I have summoned the Magisterium's soldiers, that they're waiting outside for you to leave? Did you think that I didn't recognize you right away, even though you are dressed rather oddly?" Rennen let out soft chuckle.

My skin was crawling with disgust that I had allowed his charm to deceive me so easily. "Why would you bother to feed me, then?" I asked. Konstantin's hackles were raised, and he was growling softly. I stood abruptly.

"How else could I bring you to trust me?" Cole asked. "At the rate you were going, I thought you might never realize my loyalties. I had expected you to examine my bookshelves as I dressed, not me."

My cheeks were red with embarrassment and anger. "I did. And I noticed that you have a fine collection of poetry."

"I suppose you didn't notice the books on this shelf here?" He motioned at the wall behind him as he stood as well. "You aren't as smart as my superiors credit you. These are all Bibles or works concerning the Magisterium's teachings." I turned from Cole's handsome visage and ran to the nearest window. Peering outdoors, I saw that there were Magisterium soldiers pacing around the perimeter of the building.

Cole laughed as I bolted out the unlocked door, Konstantin running along with me. I reached the stairs and instead of heading down them, out to the streets, I climbed all the way to the roof of the building. In desperation I reached the edge of the roof and looked down. Blackness was edging my vision, and I heard Cole's voice cry out from somewhere nearby that the sleeping medicine was kicking in.

_Sleeping medicine? _I wondered woozily. _He must have slipped it into the food…_ I felt my legs give out, sending me forward. Just as I began toppling off the building, I felt someone grab me and pull me back onto solid grown. Konstantin collapsed on the ground as the blackness finally took me.

_So here's Chapter Ten. I've magically managed to type it within about eight hours (including my six hours of sleep last night)… Poor Riva- she always seems to be in some sort of trouble. At least she still has the clarineto- as far as we know… Reseñe, por favor! A mi me gustan las reseñas buenas. (For those that are unable to comprehend Spanish, I said Review, please! I like good reviews a lot! – actually, I like any reviews a lot. oO)_


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